Friday, January 11, 2013

What I Did On My Holidays

We got back a week ago from Ohope Beach in New Zealand but it's taken me forever to whirr into action. I thought I'd tell you about three really fun things we did, just in case you ever get down that way. (Sorry if this is starting to sound like a 4th grade essay....) It's all about bulls' balls, arsenic bubbles and bums. (Yes, very 4th grader)

Mum and Dad's house at Ohope Beach

The Opotiki Rodeo:
In a field in Opotiki, a remote town between the mountains and the sea, every year there is a rodeo (my friend pointed out I was erroneously pronouncing it like Rodeo Drive) which attracts world class cowboys riding the bunkingest of broncos. I was totally captivated by the hootenany drama until a bloke sitting next to me told me the animals buck because they have their balls tied tight for a few seconds.
"Painful, yes" my neighbour said: "But quicker than marriage."
He added: "When my wife comes back from getting the hotdogs, don't tell her I said that."

Oooow! Cy, cousin Leah, Tallulah and me

Bike Ride up the Motu River:
The long term plan in New Zealand is to have bike paths running from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island. This seven-hour ride up the Motu is part of that vision. It has it all: old skool Kiwi farmland with number eight wire fences and rusty corrugated iron barns, deep Middle Earth forests and beach dunes with eight-year old kids riding horses bareback and their toddler brothers clutching around their waists.
We rented mountain bikes from the very helpful  John of Bushaven who also dropped us off on a remote farm road in his van.  It turned out the bikepath was missing a few dots - or rather the quarter of a mile between beach and hill - and I found myself wandering the beach for half an hour like a scruffy French Lieutenant's Woman until Dad found me.

Sister Pietra, me and friend Reece
Riding through the dunes
Harley (middle) "safely" at home on the couch with his cousins

There were 12 of us riding including Harley, 15, and Jackson, 13.  Harley whined at the start: "How could you make Jackson and me do this? We don't even know how to ride mountain bikes! How could you do this to us?"

White Island, an active volanic island:
This island is 1hr20mins off the coast by boat or a few mins by helicopter and they actually allow you to stand right at the edge of the crater (no fences! ) and stare in. This is something you could never do in America (because of the litigious society) which makes it more or less attractive depending on who you are talking to. We went with PeeJays which boats you across and drops you off with a guide, gas mask and hard hat. Like walking on a scary moonscape, you can also taste of the bubbling arsenic streams (only trace so it won't hurt you.) The island is currently blowing at Level 2 -  if it reached Level 5, you'd have hot balls the size of cars coming at your face. The fact that miners spent three months on this place is incredible (they were paid the equivalent of $200 per day)

Boating out to White Island

Me and Tallulah wearing gas masks on White Island
This somehow gives the impression we were flat tack the whole time, adventuring. In fact most of the time was spent strolling the golden triangle along the beach: from our bach (beach cottage) to Mum and Dad's house and back to the shops - for lollies, lattes and full brekkie.

Full brekkie at the Quay Cafe
Cousin Leah and Tallulah walking the golden triangle
Good to be back - our flight back was delayed 24 hours, loads of lining up to wait, which always makes you glad to be back in your own bed. I'm also looking forward to reading your blogs like, as Jen would say, a stack of really great magazines.


45 comments:

  1. OMGoodness, the gas mask pic is my all-time favorite! Priceless! Such a wonderful trip and a beautiful destination!

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    1. Now I know what Darth Vadar felt like....I am your father! er mother

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  2. I can see your family had so much fun going on so many great adventures!

    Love and Hugs
    Karena

    Art by Karena

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  3. OMG! That breakfast looks fantastic!

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  4. What I wonderful way to wander in the Hobbit's Middle Earth. Afterwards or before, with a rich delicious breakfast.

    Later explore, complete with gas mask, an active volcano.

    I read French Lieutenant's Woman a long long time ago.

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  5. Lovely photos! Welcome back! Coincidentally, my friend was also back home to NZ during the same time.

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  6. Welcome back - although it looks so beautiful I don't know how you dragged yourself away. Palpitations at the mere thought of standing on the edge of a volcano!

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  7. Oh so funny cheered me up I will never rodeos the same again. Well it certainly was an action packed holiday. I love the variety of the scenery.i visited a volcano in lanzarote nothing as exciting as this.

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  8. Wonderful...sounds and looks like an amazing time!! Poor animals, I would buck as well, haha!! I hope you've all been settling back in ok. The volcano looks amazing, would love that :)) So exciting. Hope you have a great weekend xx

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  9. WOW what a great trip!
    Glad you are home safe and sound!

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  10. The trip looked fantastic! What a great time. Makes me wish I could have come along!! And that Breakfast looks so good, I haven't eaten yet this morning! Love your description of your adventures, fun reading! Love Di ♥

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  11. hello, love! enjoyed reading the posts i missed of your holidays and travels. hope the new year is wonderful!

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  12. Such a wonderful trip Jody! Glad you had fun. I totally cracked up when I read the comment about the bulls balls! Lol! That's crazy! I didn't know they did that. Your bike riding trip sounds so fun and I like the photo of you next to the volcano.

    Have a nice weekend!

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  13. I'm imagining you walking along the beach with your hooded cape, a la Meryl Streep.
    Surely the golden trianghat is that yummy hash brown from breakfast?

    Great to read about your trip - just a touch of adventure but plenty of lolling too :-)

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  14. That was a wonderful trip. Loved the photos, illustrating it.
    Felt a bit sorry for the bull!
    Maggie x

    Nuts in May

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  15. Wow - what a great trip and how wonderful to see family! Am very impressed by the biking - am so out of shape right now!

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  16. Welcome home and what an amazing trip you had! NZ is most certainly on my bucket list once the kids can stay at home on their own - we are such good parents…can't wait to leave them behind! Would so love to see the volcano…what an experience. Hope you're not too jet-lagged. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Avril x
    PS that skincare brand I featured on the blog today has a US site - www.mamamio.com/us xx

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  17. it's another world... did your complexion get paler from the puffs of arsenic vapor?

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    1. Not this time - but I had on my new obsession, a fake tan cream from Australia.

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  18. You always have the greatest adventures -- so inspirational!! I want to be more like you! :) Hope you are easing back into your routine nicely.

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  19. Wow, you had amazing holidays. I like all pics and I wish you a great weekend.

    http://www.fashiondenis.com/

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Denisa - I love that line on your blog : "I love fashion but I am not subject to her delirium"

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  20. Just catching up after my holiday. I can see you had a wonderful time - I definitely would like to go to White Island and tuck into that full breakfast too! Happy New Year to you and your family!
    http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/

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  21. Glad you had such a good time - look forward to hearing about more of the holiday!

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  22. Fun blog! I'm already enjoying your sense of humor and fun. You had me at the photo in your header. I noticed on your comment on another blog that we are just about the same (age that is)...so I thought I'd stop by and say hello. Looks like a fab holiday. We were in London and Paris-loved it.
    Cheers and happy 2013!! Heather

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    1. So nice to hear from you Heather, thanks for stopping by!

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  23. Crikey.....tired just reading about your adventures...and a volcano walk to boot!

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  24. What a fabulous place - will put it on my must-see list (for when we're booking trips for 2 not 5!) Glad to see you have a full English brekkie! Love the photos.

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  25. Stops...considers...nope, not even the full english brekky could get me on a Bike ride up the Motu river

    Just kidding. Jealous.

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  26. You went home, you lucky thing!!!! The whole family called me via Skype over the holidays and moaned about the relentless feasts and picnics by the beach in Auckland. I felt the urge to hop on the plane to fly home.

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  27. What a great experience. Beautiful country. Glad Harley is back on the couch.

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  28. Thanks for sharing your pics - I've always wanted to go to New Zealand, it's so beautiful and natural!

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  29. New Zealand looks truly amazing! Thanks for sharing some of your adventures!!!

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  30. wow ur shallow!! showing off some people cant afford a holiday

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  31. sounds amazing! well, not the mountain biking part, but that's another story.

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  32. Oh I agree it sounds amazing!! Looks like you all were having so much fun!

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  33. this sounds like an amazing trip, so much fun!

    love from the NANA girls xoxo

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  34. It looks wonderful! And that breakfast is making me hungry! I have missed you! Just getting back to blogging myself today, sounds like the new year has been a great one so far--I know what you mean though about being glad to be back in your own bed :)
    xo Mary Jo

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  35. Looks like an amazing journey, but I agree -- returning home is always nice. xo style, she wrote

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  36. Sounds like you had a grand time "back home." And that brekkie — now I'm hungry!

    Blessings and Bear hugs.

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  37. What a glorious holiday. Teenagers always moan but they remember holidays like that for the restlof their lives and ussually repeat with their own kids.
    Very sensible of you to have parents in such an idyllic spot:)

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  38. Loved this Jody. What an amazing place New Zealand is. I hope to get there one day. I can't believe about the volcano...pretty cool. Your sons sound like my 14 year old Jackson! Must be the age.

    xx
    Kim

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  39. That fry up is what I call a breakfast....more butta!

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  40. Usually I am not regular to read article on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very pressured me to check out and do it! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thank you, quite nice article.

    jason
    property investment experts

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